Characters
Continuing on our multi-part Harry Potter review (part one here)… I love the colorful cast of characters J.K. Rowling introduces us to. She writes characters we all want to be friends with, that we aspire to be like.
The character development is simply excellent. She has a gigantic cast of characters over the span of the seven books. Somehow, she develops every single one of them. They all have a story, they show growth, and she never forgets about them. There is such detail that she incorporates from minor to major characters. She knows her characters, and the amount of thought absolutely shows. And I love how names reoccur, like Harry’s classmates. Each year, Harry again gets to see Dean, Seamus, Parvati, Lavender, and many others across the four houses. I love it.
We want to be smart like Hermione, loyal like Ron, wise like Dumbledore, funny like Fred and George, tough and beautiful like Ginny, selfless like Lily and James, brave like Snape, and so on and so forth. That’s not even touching Harry himself. And yet, each character has their flaws, and Rowling displays those clearly. Even her heroes are far from perfect, making them relatable to every reader in some way. I appreciated that more this read through than previous ones.
Additionally, her dialogue is spot-on and specific to each character. You don’t hear Rowling’s voice; you hear Ron, or Hermione, or Dumbledore, or Hagrid.
Two qualms: First is the lack of variety when it comes to character descriptions. Rowling is super predictable in this area, which may be intentional on her part, but I personally find it a little weak. For example, Hermione’s hair is almost always described as “bushy.” Like, every time. Snape? Hook-nosed with greasy hair. Ginny with her “mane” of beautiful hair. I like the pattern of introducing them with their trademark appearances in each book, but as the individual novels wear on, I feel like a bit of variety would have been good.
Second qualm: pigeon-holing characters. Draco Malfoy for the better part of all the books is just an awful human being. Snape, too, is unrealistically cruel to students. Basically, why does Slytherin house exist, why aren’t all the students expelled, and why do no other teachers reign the bullying in? Why does Snape get away with his unfair treatment of students? I kind of wish Rowling had given us a few good – or even more balanced – Slytherin interactions. It feels a bit unrealistic for students and staff at a school to act so vile with no impactful repercussions.
Okay, moving on.
Third Read-Through Thoughts
So, I’ve gushed a lot about the series and Rowling’s genius. I’ve read Harry Potter all the way through three times now, and I came away with some totally different perceptions and feelings this time:
- Plot points that I found kind of annoying before didn’t bother me this time around. I used to think S.P.E.W. was so dumb and, in my mind, a big waste of space in the books. But this time, I realized that it actually didn’t take up so much of the story as I thought, and it didn’t bug me. I actually saw it as a display of Hermione’s good nature but also the way knowledge and logic blind her.
- Concepts I had a hard time getting my head around before made more sense this time, particularly the Deathly Hallows and the life of Dumbledore. I made connections I hadn’t made previously, and it drastically improved my understanding and enjoyment, especially of the last two books.
- Books I had marked off as my “least favorite” suddenly weren’t anymore. I found myself not wanting to skip through chapters or portions of Chamber of Secrets or Half-Blood Prince this time. Rather, I really enjoyed both of them. Meanwhile, Deathly Hallows moved up the ranks to beat out Order of the Phoenix as my favorite of the seven.
- The adaptation of Harry Potter from book-to-screen is SO good. I used to feel more disappointed about what they had to leave out or change, but that didn’t bother me as much this time. I felt like the screenwriters made some good choices. There are parts I think are done better in the movies and parts that I think are better in the books (Harry and Ginny’s love story, anyone?). I really enjoyed rewatching and rereading so closely together. I feel like the filmmakers “got” the books, and the actors “got” their characters. I love watching our favorite trio on screen; they do an excellent job.
I think this just goes to show that there is great value in re-reading books. The books don’t change, but we do. Experiences we go through – even the ages we are – play a part in how we perceive and understand what we read. Reading as a mother to a baby boy this read-through made the yearning Harry felt for his own parents and the power of a mother’s love to be all the more moving.
I am grateful for stories like Harry Potter to go back to whenever I want to escape. For authors like J.K. Rowling who share their creativity and imagination with us. For characters like Harry, Ron, and Hermione whose interactions and love for each other make us all have goofy smiles on our faces.
Rowling said it best herself at the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 film premiere, “Whether by books or the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” How true that is! I am always so sad when I close the cover of Deathly Hallows. I just want to dive back into the familiarity and the brilliance that is Harry Potter.
Jessica
Copyright J.K. Rowling and Arthur A. Levine Books. Image from Amazon.com.
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